I videotaped yesterday's award ceremony at the University of Maine in Augusta where Senator Susan Collins was inducted in the Maine Women's Hall of Fame by the Maine Federation of Business and Professional Women. Over 30 protestors stood in front Jewett Hall holding banners and signs telling Senator Collins to get our military out of Iraq, Pakistan. Libya and other geographical places where oil deposits exist.

The event was organized by MILITARY FAMILIES SPEAK OUT. Other groups were in attendance including Vets For Peace and Women in Black. Carol Whelan of MFSO stood up in the audience just as Senator Collins started to thank people for inducting her into the Maine Women's Hall of Fame. Some of the attendees tried to silence Carol Whelan while other audience members said let her speak. Carol finished her speech and Senator Collins said isn't it great we live in a country where people are free to do these kind of things.

Collins received a loud burst of applause from the audience after that patriotic remark. Of course Collins did not tell the audience that taxpayer funded FBI informants were at that moment videotaping the protesters and taking down their license plate numbers. Someone forget to tell Collins how FBI agents assassinated President Kennedy and Martin Luther King when they started making a connection between Corporations and War. Yea, we have democracy in the United States as long as it does not threaten Corporations.

Here is the video of the demonstration and award ceremony from Channel 13 in Portland

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Shortly after Senator Collins was awarded the honor at the University of Maine campus, a woman stood up in the audience and began speaking, reading a written statement, and saying Senator Collins should refuse the award for her role in helping advance the war in Iraq eight years ago. Senator Collins was among the majority in the Senate that gave then President Bush the authorization to use force against Iraq.

The woman's comments were met with a mix of jeers and supporters saying "let her speak". Once she finished, some of those in the audience applauded.

Senator Collins condoned the latter sentiment immediately after, telling the crowd that the demonstrator's speech was "democracy in